Macallan 21
by Arpad Hrunta
Summary: Toby and Josh share drinks and a story. Post-series. Complete.


_[Author's Note: Usual disclaimers apply. Not mine, obviously.]_

* * *

><p>"Well, that sucked," Toby Ziegler said as he shut off his television. "You want another scotch? I know I need one."<p>

"Sure. Time to celebrate!" Josh Lyman answered, handing him his glass as he grinned jauntily. "To the first of many glorious victories of the Mets over the Yankees this season."

"We'll see," Toby said, handing a refilled glass to his guest. "Thanks for this – Macallan 21. I haven't had it in too long. Good stuff."

"Good to drink it with someone who appreciates it," Josh said, clinking his glass to Toby's. "I've been waiting to bring it for a while, but you know how it is."

"First hundred days. Been there."

"Yeah. Anyway, first Mets-Yankees game of the season seemed like a good a time to visit as any."

"You're doing good. That was a tight vote on the education bill, but you pulled it off," Toby said.

"The President did well," Josh said, nodding.

"He did fine. But that vote in the Senate? Johansen's switch? That had Josh Lyman written all over it."

"I just execute the plays."

Toby looked sharply at Josh. "Josh... sell it to someone else, okay?"

"Yeah."

"You'll have to say hi to Donna for me."

"I will. She wanted to be here, but the First Lady's in Jamaica, so Donna is too."

"Yeah," Toby said. "Things good between you two?"

Josh grinned. "It's amazing, you know? I never wanted to live with anyone before her. I thought I'd feel... I dunno. Stifled, or something. I mean, when Amy suggested it, I nearly asked President Bartlet for a posting to Pago Pago. But with Donna? It's... I can't even describe it."

"And that's why you don't write the speeches," Toby said. "You going to make an honest woman of her any time soon?"

"Not you too," Josh said, sighing.

"Donna mentioned it?"

"No, not her. Sam, though. My mother. Charlie. President Bartlet."

"Four people who don't talk to me," Toby muttered.

"You want me to get my mom to call you?"

"Don't be a yutz."

"You have to give them time," Josh said.

"Yeah. You didn't need it, though."

"Well..."

"I mean, even after... you know... the Rafferty thing. And our differences on your guy. You came by. You still took my advice on the campaign..."

"Hey, I should be thanking you. You helped us a lot, 'Bob'," Josh said.

"And I'm never going to let you forget that. But, you know, other than one visit from CJ, the only people I've seen, or spoken to, _of everyone_ are you and Donna. That's it," Toby said, knocking back his shot.

"Toby! You're supposed to savor it!"

"Don't tell me how to drink whisky, Josh. You know, you never asked if I did it. Everyone else did. But not you."

"I didn't need to."

"That sure I did it, huh?"

"I'm going to tell you a story, Toby, but you'll need a refill," Josh said, grabbing the bottle and pouring Toby one more.

"Don't you want any more?"

"Nah, I still got this. And I don't need Donna snarking me about my 'sensitive system'."

"'Snarking'? Again, good thing you don't write. Thanks," Toby said, as Josh finished pouring.

"This story's a secret, Toby. It's... really secret."

"'Secret plan to fight inflation' secret? Or 'MS' secret?"

"You're only the fourth person in the world who's going to know this."

Toby raised his eyebrows.

"You remember the MS Hearings? You remember who lead counsel for Oversight was?"

"Your erstwhile replacement as DCoS."

"Yeah. Cliff Calley," Josh said, his mouth curling in distaste.

"Not a fan?"

"He and Donna hooked up. Right after Oversight took over the hearings."

Toby's eyebrows raised again. "Seriously? That's..."

"I know. _Believe me_. I was not happy. Like, at all."

"No, I imagine not. That explains a lot about that time."

"That's not the half of it, Toby."

"Didn't he depose her?"

"Yeah."

"Wow. _That's_ wrong. And, you know, look who's talking."

Josh gave a tight smile.

"Anyway, when Calley deposed Donna, he asked it she kept a diary. She said she didn't. But Calley knew she did. You can imagine how."

"Wow."

"You can guess how hard it was for Donna to tell me that."

"I can guess how hard it was for you to hear it."

"No, you really can't."

"No, I suppose not."

"Donna _lied_ to the committee? Why?"

"She never really said, but I have my suspicions. Anyway, Calley tried to get her to walk it back, but she refused. And came to me. So I had to figure out what to do."

"Well, you obviously did, seeing as she never went to jail. You must have had something big on Calley."

Josh shook his head. "Not a damn thing, Toby. He was clean as a whistle. I had to call him up and make a deal. I had to give him Donna's diary, let him read it, let him violate her privacy, violate _her_, and make sure there was nothing in there about the President's MS, while I sat there on a park bench with Donna, waiting for the axe to fall, and hoping it wouldn't hit her neck."

Toby stood up. "Are you _insane_? What were you _thinking_? Calley could have reneged, told the committee, and you would have been _finished_. You could have been charged for obstruction of justice, conspiracy, and who knows _what_ else! You would have been finished in politics, you would have been disbarred, you could have been thrown in jail..."

Josh looked at Toby pointedly.

Toby sat back down. "So what happened?"

"Calley went through the diary, and gave it back. There was nothing there about the MS."

Toby looked at Josh. "I bet there was something about the PTSD, though. And more about you than that."

Josh shrugged. "Maybe. I guess."

"You didn't read it?" Toby asked.

"Of course not. It was Donna's diary."

"You gave it to him _blind_?"

"What else would you have me do?"

"_Read it!_"

Josh shook his head. "I couldn't do that. She wanted me to, but I couldn't. I couldn't violate her privacy. She took out the pages about her... _encounters_ with Calley, and I had them as backup. We would have got him for that."

"For what? A slap-on-the-wrist offence for improperly deposing a witness? That's nothing compared to having the Deputy Chief of Staff sent up the river! Do you know what that would have done to the Administration? To _you_?"

"Yes."

"And you took the risk? You're damn lucky Calley held up his end of the bargain."

Josh sighed. "Yeah, he wasn't her usual gomer. He helped out with Leo that Christmas, too. But what could I do? It was _Donna_. I would have done _anything_ to keep her out of trouble. Risked _anything_. Even if it hurt the Administration."

"Yeah, you would have."

"Yeah."

"So believe, Toby, when I say that I know a little bit about being ready to take the fall for the woman I love."

Toby was silent for a moment, then spoke softly. "I don't know what you're talking..."

"Toby. _C'mon_," Josh said, his voice raising in exasperation.

Toby sighed. "David mentioned it. The last time he was visiting the twins, he told Andi and I. And then, not two weeks later, he went into that garage, and..."

"_Toby_."

"Yeah. So when the thing happened, and it looked like the President was just going to let them die, rather than expose the military shuttle, she... I wasn't going to say anything to the press. I wasn't going to do anything. I thought about it, but... I wasn't going to do anything. But she called up Greg Brock, without telling me, and...

"I couldn't let her go to jail, Josh. I was so _furious_ with her, but I couldn't. A _Congresswoman_... the mother of my children... I couldn't sit idly by."

"I know you couldn't."

"How'd you figure it out?"

"It was the only thing that seemed to fit. I know the press and Babish thought it was CJ, but that made almost as little sense as you. Neither of you... none of us would have ever done that. Betrayed him like that. It was the only thing that made sense," Josh repeated.

"You haven't told anyone your suspicions?"

Josh shook his head. "Just Donna. She understood."

"Yeah. She was willing to do whatever it took to protect you, too, it sounds like."

"Yeah, we're quite the pair."

"You are."

"Neither Donna nor I are going to tell anyone. You have my word. Hers too. She knows I was going to tell you this story."

"You have to marry that woman, Josh."

Josh reached over into his jacket pocket, pulled out a small box, and tossed it to Toby. "I made another stop here in New York before I came here. I'm gonna have a dinner catered, fill the apartment with roses..."

"You're going to skip the violinist, right?"

"Damn straight."

Toby tossed the box back, grabbed his glass, leaned over, and clinked glasses with Josh. "Mazel tov, Josh. Mazel tov."


End file.
